


Overcast

by cupsofstardust



Category: Naruto
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-16
Updated: 2019-09-16
Packaged: 2020-10-19 20:00:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,012
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20662937
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cupsofstardust/pseuds/cupsofstardust
Summary: Sometimes he needs to think about nothing.





	Overcast

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not feeling well. Enjoy. <3

It's cloudy, in more ways than one.

The sky is covered in dark storm clouds, the sun long since hidden away behind them. The first drop of rain hits the pavement as he unlocks the door and steps into a dark, silent apartment.

His ears ring; the quiet is unsettling, but he can't bring himself to call out. It would be wrong, he feels, to disrupt the atmosphere.

He puts his keys down on the counter, slips out of his shoes, and pads through the kitchen, shedding his coat along the way. He has a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. 

The sight of the bedroom door makes him stop short.

It's closed.

_Oh._

He steps up to it, knocks lightly, more a brush of knuckles than a true knock. He waits for an answer, but it doesn't come.

His hand finds the knob and he turns it, slowly, and pushes it open.

The first thing he notices is that the room is freezing. The curtains are fluttering in the breeze coming in through the open window, the rhythmic sound of rain hitting concrete filling the air.

The breathing lump under the blankets is the only indication he has of life; other than that, the room might as well be empty.

A mop of blond hair peeks out from under them. Somehow, even that manages to look dull.

He sighs gently, closing the door behind him. He doesn't doubt that Naruto knows he's here, but he doesn't waste time waiting for any kind of greeting. He just moves over to the bed and stretches out on the other side, his hands resting on his stomach.

Sasuke doesn't say anything, he just lays there. He knows nothing he says will change what Naruto is feeling, though he hates that he can't be of any help. These episodes aren't new to him; he's learned that sometimes Naruto needs quiet, which is something no one would realize by just looking at him.

Sometimes Naruto needs to think about nothing.

The lump expands and a sigh leaves it, breathed harshly through his nose. And then another one, as if he has too much oxygen in his lungs, as if he can't get rid of it fast enough. 

Something about that thought scares Sasuke.

He inches closer until the length of his body presses against Naruto's curled up form, just enough that they can share a little body heat, just enough that Naruto knows he's not alone.

The lump shudders, curling itself tighter.

It's days like this that Sasuke is forced to confront what he already knows; Naruto is not okay, but that's okay. He will be. 

And when he is, he will be so many miles, _lightyears_ ahead of just _okay._ He will be radiant, energetic, full of smiles and love and the resolve to share it with the world.

But today is not that day. And maybe tomorrow isn't either.

The lump sighs again, and this time he thinks he detects the tail end of a dejected hum. He can almost tell that Naruto's breath is bated, that he's trying not to make too much noise.

It's like he's trying his hardest not to exist.

He shifts then, though, breathing in loudly as if now is his one moment to act like he's _alive,_ and presses closer to Sasuke. He still doesn't face him, but it's something, and Sasuke will take it.

His breaths are deliberate, like he's really focusing on them, like it's taking all his effort to just _breathe._ Sasuke thinks maybe it is. 

He lets out a soft sigh of his own, staring up at the ceiling above him. He finds a small crack in the plaster, his eyes tracing it back and forth. 

Naruto moves, suddenly, a bit more of his head peeking out from under the blankets as he adjusts his pillow. He sighs again, long and loud, and Sasuke can tell the difference immediately.

_In through the nose..._

He inhales, slowly, loudly—

_...and out through the mouth._

—and sighs again. 

It sounds softer, less like he's trying to rid his lungs of oxygen and more like he's relieving himself of a pressure. More relaxed. 

But then Naruto is pulling the blankets back up, covering his ears, and Sasuke's heart sinks just a little.

He feels a tug on the blanket under his back, then another, more deliberate one. 

He understands. 

Sasuke gets up slowly and pulls the covers back. He slips in behind Naruto and wraps himself up in the same kind of cocoon, the top of his head just barely poking out. 

Naruto presses back against him, his breaths a little lighter, his sighs a little softer, and Sasuke's forehead rests against his shoulder.

The only things he can hear are their mingled breaths, the steady thumping of his heart, and the rain gently pattering on the balcony.

When Naruto finally rolls over, he welcomes him with open arms. His face presses into his chest, eyes staring off at nothing, and his arms wrap around his waist. 

Sasuke presses a soft kiss to his forehead, arms tightening around his shoulders almost protectively. The action is pointless, really, because to be honest Sasuke is powerless against the demons in Naruto's mind; his presence does little to stave them off, but that doesn't mean he'll stop trying.

"I love you, Naruto," he murmurs into his hair.

Naruto doesn't say it back, doesn't say _anything._ And it's fine, because Sasuke expects it, and because he already knows that he does love him too. 

Naruto doesn't say it back, but after a moment, he nods into his chest, and it's fine.

It's enough of an answer for now. 

Before long, his breathing is evening out. It sounds less like he's waging a war with himself.

His arms relax around Sasuke. All hints of sadness leave his expression, then. He looks peaceful, finally.

Sasuke presses another kiss to his head, then pulls the blankets up higher around them and curls into Naruto. 

The skies will be clear again when they wake.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and kudos are nice. Thanks. <3


End file.
